Convertible floor lamp



Nov. 27, 1934. L. c. DOANE' CONVERTIBLE FLcioR LAMP Filed April 7, 1931 I INVENTOR Zerqy C. ,Ooape. BY

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 27, 1934 omreo STATES PATENT. OFFICE Miller Company, Meriden,

tion of Connecticut Conn., a corpora- Application April 7, 1931, Serial No. 528,300

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to convertible lamps and is more particularly directed toward a floor or table lamp which can function as either an ordinary floor or table lamp with comparatively small incandescent lamps enclosed within a diffusing shade or as a floor torchier with a comparatively large bulb carried within an upwardly acting reflector for indirect lighting or for both purposes simultaneously. For ordinary room lighting, where low intensities only are desired, the floor lamp, with a number of electric candles enclosed within a diffusing shade, is very satisfactory, but when it is desired to have strong illumination, the floor torchier having a high wattage bulb totally screened by an opaque reflector which directs the light toward the ceiling is employed.

The present invention contemplates a floor lamp construction which can have either or both of these features and. wherein the high wattage bulb and its reflector may be removed from the floor lamp without difliculty and without materially changing its appearance or interfering with its functioning as an ordinary floor ,lamp.

The accompanying drawing shows, for purposes of illustrating the present invention, one form in which it may take form, it being understood that the drawing is illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view with parts in elevation showing a floor lamp arranged for both low intensity illumination downwardly and for high intensity illumination upwardly;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic elevational view illustrating the upper part of the lamp when used for low illumination intensities;

Figure 3 is an outline view of the detachable unit for converting the floor lamp to a floor torchier; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the'lower part of the structure shown in Figure 3.

A lamp standard is indicated at 10. It may be supported in any desired manner from a base with columns and tubes of suitable length, depending upon whether the lamp is to be used on the floor or the table. The wires are carried up through the inside of this support as usual. The upper end of the supporting column 10 carries a body 11 which supports a plurality of arms 12, each carrying an electric candle socket indicated at 13 and lamp bulb indicated at 14. Switches may be associated with each of the sockets for these lamp bulbs, if desired.

As here shown, the upper part of the body 11 carries a ring 15 threaded in place as indicated, and this ring is threaded, as indicated at 16, to receive the threaded extension 17 carried by a pull chain lamp socket 18. Interposed between the lamp socket and screw cap 15 is a sheet metal socket cover or shell 19, this shell being clamped in place by the lamp socket. The upper edge of the shell is expanded, as indicated at 20, and carries a number of thumb screws indicated at 21.

The lamp shade may be of any suitable ornamental shape, as indicated at 22. It may have a wire frame of ordinary construction, and in the drawing the lower ring of the frame is indicated at 23 and the upper outer ring at 24, these being connected by supports not shown. The upper ring 24 is connected by wire members '25 with an inner upper ring 26 of somewhat larger diameter than the upper end of the socket cover 19. The ring 26 is connected with anumber of downwardly and inwardly extending wire members indicated at 27, these members being connected at their lower ends with two rings indicated at 28 and 29. The rings 28 and 29 are preferably smaller than the inside diameter of the enlargement 20.

The parts are so arranged that the shade may be supported from the standard by inserting these two rings into this enlargement. The screws 21 pass above the lower ring 29, as indicated, and secure the shade in place. This shade frame is covered by suitable light diffusing material, such as fabric, indicated at 30. When the parts so far described in detail have been assembled, the upper part of the floor lamp will appear as indicated in Figure 2-and the lamp may be used as an ordinary floor lamp giving diffused illumination upwardly and outwardly, the lamps 14 being completely screened by the diffusing material of the shade, so that no undesirable shadows or streaks are produced above the lamp.

The torchier unit is indicated at A in Figures 1 and 3. As here shown, it employs a socket extension 40 of usual construction for connecting in a large wattage lamp bulb 41 and supporting a reflector. A clamp 42 is placed about the upper 1 part of the socket extension, this clamp being secured tightly in place underneath the bead 43 of the socket extension. The clamp ring 42 carries a number of upwardly and outwardly extending straps 44, and the upper ends of these straps are riveted to a flange 45 carried by a sheet metal reflector stamping 46. A supplemental reflector 47 may be employed, if desired, it being secured to the stamping 46 in any convenient manner.

When the torchier forming unit A is to be placed on a lamp, it is merely necessary to thread the lower end of the socket extension 40 into the socket 18. The unit is then in place for operation and the bulb 41 may be controlled by the pull chain 48 of the pull chain socket 18.

The parts are preferably so proportioned that the reflector 46 is brought close to the shade, 22, sufficient clearance being allowed so that there is no interference with the threading of the socket extension into the socket. The floor lamp may now be used either as a floor torchier, giving strong illumination by means of the large lamp bulb 41, or may be used as an ordinary floor lamp by lighting the bulbs 14. When the large bulb only is lighted there is some escape of light downwardly from the bulb which diffuses through the shade illuminatingit at low intensity. It is obvious that the unit A may be easily removed and stored, if desired.

It is obvious that the invention may be embodied in many forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, and I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown and described is but one of the many forms. Various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise in any way limit myself with respect thereto.

- I claim:

1. A lamp comprising a standard, a plurality of lamp sockets carried at the upper end thereof, one socket being axially disposed and upwardly opening, the other socket being arranged about the central socket, lamp bulbs carried in said other sockets, a socket shell about the central socket, a shade supported from the socket shell and disposed about said other sockets and the lamp bulbs carried. thereby and concealing the central socket except from above, and a torchier forming unit comprising a lamp bulb, socket extension and reflector, the socket extension being insertible into the central socket and the lamp bulb and reflector being abovethe shade and supported independently of the shade.

2.'A lamp comprising a standard carrying a plurality of incandescent lamps in sockets spaced about the upper end of the standard, a centrally disposed upwardly opening lamp socket carried at the top of the standard, a detachable unit including an incandescent lamp, lamp socket, and reflector adapted to be secured in place in the central lamp socket and to function for indirect lighting independent of the operation of the lower lamps and shade, and a lamp shade supported from the standard, the shade having a central opening to accommodate the detachable unit and being provided with diffusing material to diffuse all upwardly and laterally emitted light from the outer lamps.

3. A lamp adapted for use as a floor lamp, or as a torchier, comprising a standard having at the top thereof a central lamp socket and a plurality of lamp sockets disposed about the central socket, lamp bulbs in the outer sockets, a shade open at the top to afiford access to the central lamp socket and having diffusing material acrossthe top and down the sides thereof for diffusing all the upwardly and laterally emitted light from the outer lamp bulbs, and a torchier forming unit having a socket extension to fit the central socket, a lamp bulb in the socket extension, and an upwardly acting reflector about the latter mentioned lamp for reflecting light toward the ceiling, the torchier forming unit being insertible through the open top of the shade and operable independently of, or in conjunction with the outer lamp bulbs.

, LEROY C. DOANE. 

